Detachable cutting head for the apparatus for feeding sets of filter segments, drive apparatus for detachable cutting head and method of replacement of detachable cutting head
The object of the application is a detachable cutting head for an apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods, provided with circular knives situated in knife units mounted in the housing of the head, characterized in that it comprises a housing of the head (8) provided with a reference surface (23) for positioning in the apparatus for feeding filter segments; seatings (20, 21) for positioning the knife units (10) and lead-out channels (25), knife units (10) with circular knives (6), whereas the positioning seatings (20, 21) are situated so that the circular knives (6) do not overlap. Furthermore, the object of the application is a drive apparatus of a cutting head and a method of coupling a cutting head.
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The object of the application is a detachable cutting head for an apparatus for feeding sets of filter segments of the tobacco industry, a drive apparatus for a detachable cutting head and a method of replacement of a detachable cutting head.
In machines manufacturing multi-segment filters, there is a need of feeding multiple different filter segments from multiple feeding apparatuses. Among known segment feeding apparatuses are apparatuses for feeding sets of filter segments, where one set of segments is formed by cutting one filter rod conveyed on a drum using a cutting head provided with circular knives. From patent GB 1043706, a detachable cutting head provided with several circular knives mounted on knife shafts is known, whereas the power transmission and coupling of the knife shafts is effected by means of a toothed gear disposed in the housing of the cutting head. The replacement of the circular knife requires dismantling of the knife shaft on which the knife is mounted, whereas during pushing the shaft out of the housing the knives successively slide down of the shaft and remain inside the housing. In order to install a new circular knife, the knife shaft is pushed into the housing, and then the knives are successively put onto the shaft which is partially inserted into the housing.
The object of the invention is a detachable cutting head for an apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods, provided with circular knives situated in knife units fastened in the housing of the head, characterized in that it comprises a housing of the head provided with a reference surface for positioning in the apparatus for feeding filter segments, seatings for positioning knife units and lead-out channels, as well as knife units with circular knives. The positioning seatings are situated in such a way that circular knives do not overlap.
A head according to the invention is also characterized in that it comprises a second reference surface for positioning knife units.
Furthermore, a head according to the invention is characterized in that the knife shafts have different lengths.
Alternatively a head according to the invention is characterized in that the knife shafts have equal lengths.
The object of the invention is also a drive apparatus for a detachable cutting head in an apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods, characterized in that the drive apparatus is movably mounted in the apparatus for feeding filter segments, and in addition it comprises means for positioning of the drive apparatus and a set of drive shafts cooperating with the knife shafts of the cutting head.
A drive apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the drive shafts have different lengths.
Optionally, a drive apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the drive shafts have equal lengths.
The object of the invention is also a method of connecting a detachable cutting head with a drive apparatus characterized in that the cutting head is placed in the apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods so that a reference surface comes into contact with a reference surface of the apparatus, the angular position of knife shafts relative to drive shafts is determined, the drive unit is shifted by positioning means towards the cutting head, and then the knife shafts are coupled with the drive shafts.
A method according to the invention is characterized in that in the event when drive shafts or knife shafts have different lengths or are shifted relative to each other, the angular position of the knife shafts and the shift of the drive unit are effected consecutively for the knife shafts.
The drive of the knife shafts in the detachable cutting head according to the invention is situated outside the housing of the head which results in that the cutting head itself has a simplified construction as compared to known heads, and the elements of drive systems which may require lubrication are moved away from the area of flow of the filter segments. Furthermore, the replacement of circular knives does not require interference in the drive system. After the removal of the cutting head, each knife shaft unit can be removed as a whole independently of other units, which greatly accelerates and facilitates the replacement of worn out or damaged knives.
The object of the invention is shown in a preferred embodiment in a drawing in which:
At the holes 21, lead-out channels 25 which facilitate the removal of knife units 10 are formed.
The housing 8 of the cutting head is provided with two surfaces 22 and 23 which are parallel to each other. A reference surface 23 is arranged to lean against the main plate 3, which makes it possible to position the housing 8 relative to the main plate 3. A surface 22 opposite to the surface 23 is a reference surface for positioning the knife units 10. Furthermore, the knives 7 are precisely arranged by means of distance sleeves relative to the flange 18 which rests on the surface 22. As it can be seen from the description, the construction of the cutting head makes it possible to easily replace damaged or worn out knives and ensures keeping an exact position of the knives 7 in relation to the plate 3 relative to which the cutting drum is positioned. In the case that one of the knives is damaged, the cutting head 9 is unscrewed of the support plate 3 or other supporting elements. The head 9 is to be deflected from the cutting drum, and then pushed down of the mandrel 13. After pushing out the knife unit 10, damaged or worn out knives 6 are replaced while the position of the distance elements and spacers is kept, and their position relative to the flange 17 of the sleeve 16 is checked. A unit 10 with replaced knives is pushed crosswise to the axis of the unit into the housing of the cutting head, and then along the axis and is fastened using connecting elements. The cutting head prepared in such a way is put onto the guiding mandrel, leant against the support plate, rotated in the direction of the cutting drum 4 and screwed down to the main plate. Below a method of coupling knife shafts of the cutting drum with the drive apparatus is presented.
The embodiment presented in
Claims
1. An apparatus for feeding filter segments, the apparatus comprising:
- a plate with a first reference surface and a resistance element mounted to the plate to project from the first reference surface;
- a drum conveyor comprising flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods;
- a detachable cutting head for cutting the filter rods moved by the drum conveyor, the detachable cutting head comprising: a housing having a side wall with a second reference surface and with a front edge portion; and knife shafts with circular knives mounted thereon, the circular knives being mounted on individual knife shafts at predetermined positions and spaced from one another by spacers or distance sleeves, the knife shafts being mounted to the housing and comprising first coupling elements, the detachable cutting head being arranged within the apparatus such that the second reference surface abuts the first reference surface and the front edge portion of the side wall abuts the resistance element;
- a drive apparatus for the detachable cutting head, the drive apparatus comprising drive shafts comprising second coupling elements for engaging the first coupling elements when in angular alignment; and
- an actuator operably coupled with the drive apparatus,
- wherein the drive apparatus is movably mounted in the apparatus for feeding filter segments, to allow for movement of the drive shafts of the drive apparatus parallel to the knife shafts of the cutting head, the drive apparatus being linearly movable relative to the knife shafts for coupling and uncoupling the drive shafts and corresponding knife shafts by engagement or disengagement of the first and second coupling elements, and
- wherein the actuator is constructed to actuate linear motion of the drive apparatus toward and away from the detachable cutting head to couple the drive shafts with or to uncouple the driveshafts from the knife shafts of the cutting head.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive shafts have unequal lengths and the knife shafts have equal lengths.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive shafts have equal lengths and the knife shafts have unequal lengths.
4. A method of connecting the detachable cutting head with the drive apparatus of the apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:
- angularly aligning the second coupling elements of the drive shafts with the second coupling elements of the knife shafts; and
- linearly moving the drive apparatus towards the detachable cutting head until the first coupling elements of the knife shafts engage the second coupling elements of the drive shafts.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein either the drive shafts have unequal lengths and the knife shafts have equal lengths, or the drive shafts have equal lengths and knife shafts have unequal lengths, and
- wherein angularly aligning the first coupling elements with the second coupling elements and linearly moving the drive apparatus towards the detachable cutting head until the first coupling elements engage the second coupling elements are performed consecutively for each of the knife shafts.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a pull rod.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the actuator is a pull rod.
8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the actuator is a pull rod.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator.
10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator.
11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Sep 27, 2014
Date of Patent: Apr 2, 2019
Patent Publication Number: 20150013519
Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A. (Neuchatel)
Inventors: Bartosz Cieslikowski (Radom), Ryszard Dominiak (Radom), Leszek Sikora (Radom), Andrzej Boleslawski (Radom)
Primary Examiner: Sean Michalski
Assistant Examiner: Fernando Ayala
Application Number: 14/499,173
International Classification: B26D 5/22 (20060101); A24D 3/02 (20060101); B26D 1/24 (20060101); B26D 7/26 (20060101); B26D 7/00 (20060101);